FORD is aiming to boost sales of Land Rover sport utility vehicles by 40% over the next few years, following the completion of the $2.7 billion (£1.8 billion) acquisition of Land Rover from BMW, it has been claimed.

Under the terms of the deal - due to be completed on June 30 - Ford will buy the Land Rover brand and its 4x4 vehicle line-up, which includes Range Rover, Discovery, Freelander and Defender, the Land Rover plant in Solihull, the Gaydon Research and Development Centre, the Land Rover dealer network, the British Motor Industry Heritage Centre at Gaydon and a workforce of about 13,000 employees.

BMW has also agreed to complete development of the successor to the Range Rover on behalf of Ford and will supply certain components and deliveries. Ford wants to cash in on the Land Rover name to broaden its luxury vehicle line-up and increase its European presence. The company is taking a bullish stance despite gearing up to launch the new Maverick SUV in the UK and Europe at the beginning of next year, which it denies will go head-to-head with the Freelander.

At the US launch of the new Maverick, Don Ufford, vehicle engineering manager, said: 'The Maverick will be similarly sized and priced to the Freelander, but we are not in direct competition because its reputation rests on off-road driving ability. With our new SUV we haven't designed it to be a 'rock-roller' at the risk of compromising its on-road dynamics.'

Ford will aim to boost Land Rover sales to about 250,000 vehicles annually, compared with 178,000 units last year, according to Professor Garel Rhys, head of the economic section at Cardiff University Business School.

Land Rover managing director Mike Wright said: 'I believe our existing plans to grow will be endorsed by our new owners. Everything augurs well for our customers and our dealers.'

Land Rover will join Jaguar, Volvo, Aston Martin and Lincoln in Ford's Premiere Automotive Group, headed by Wolfgang Reitzle, a former BMW executive, charged with boosting Group sales to about one million annually from 200,000.

Ford will expand Land Rover's sales by offering new models and sharing parts with other Ford vehicles. It will also give Land Rover access to Ford's worldwide dealer and distribution network.

One immediate challenge for Ford will be boosting Land Rover profits. Its sales rose 16% last year to 178,000 units, but BMW said the unit wasn't profitable, though it didn't provide details.

Wright added: 'Around 30% of our dealer network now have a specially-trained fleet specialist. Also, we have a strong portfolio of finance packages aimed at business buyers.'

Bullish about the prospects for the forthcoming V6 automatic addition to the Freelander range, Wright said: 'It will give our dealers a whole new category of customer to go for. It will also be strong in the US market.'